ALL Progressives Congress (APC) Senators yesterday shut down moves by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to summon President Muhammadu Buhari, who is also the Minister of Petroleum Resources, to appear before the Senate over the biting fuel scarcity.
In a motion sponsored by Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North) and co-sponsored by 23 others, the lawmakers expressed worries over the endless fuel scarcity and the hardship it has inflicted on Nigerians.
“We are worried that the scarcity is creating an untold hardship to our citizens who have to pay higher prices for these products especially petrol. We are convinced that the current situation is not in tune with the desire of the progressively-inclined government to bring”, he said.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP, Abia South), urged the Senate to summon the President to tell law- makers why the government was yet to resolve the lingering fuel crisis, despite claims that the refineries were working.
Abaribe’s amendment to the motion was defeated when the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, put it up for a voice vote. APC Senators who were obviously more in number, drowned the voices of their PDP counterparts.
Meanwhile, the Senate has mandated its Committee on Petroleum Downstream to urgently examine all is- sues associated with the current scarcity of petroleum products and determine how the legislature could collaborate with the executive to bring a lasting solution that will prevent any future problem of fuel scarcity. The committee is expected to report back to the Senate as soon as possible.
